In a magnetic data storage device, as the data density of magnetic discs increases, the distance between the transducing head and the disc decreases to very small distances. In such systems, there is an increased possibility of contact between the head and the disc due to factors such as built up particle contamination, slider manufacturing process limitations, limited air-bearing modeling capabilities, and other occurrences. Contact between the head and disc can cause errors when writing or reading data and can result in an increased risk of failure of the magnetic data storage device.
There is a need for a method and device for sensing contact between a transducer and a disc.